darktable 3.6.0 is out

kofa

A new release is out for Linux, Windows, MacOS. Full announcement at https://www.darktable.org/2021/07/darktable-3-6/

Selected highlights:

• A vector-scope is added to complement the current histogram, waveform and parade views.
• A new default demosaic algorithm (RCD) has been introduced, which should provide better quality than the current default (PPG) without the long run-times of AMaZE. The order of the demosaic algorithms has also been adjusted for clarity.
• Support for "dual demosaic" has also been added, allowing you to combine "RCD + VNG4" and "AMaZE + VNG4" for Bayer sensors, for X-Trans sensors there is "Markesteijn 3-pass + VNG". This allows you to use an algorithm better resolving fine detail and another one delivering smoother output depending on local image content.
• You can now create an opacity mask based on the sharpness of the image. This uses a similar algorithm to that used in dual demosaic.
• A new Color Balance RGB module has been added. This can be used as a one stop module for all color grading work (see https://github.com/darktable-org/darktable/pull/7347 )
• A new censorize module has been added. This allows you to hide parts of the image by adding a blur/pixelization.
• A new section has been added to the color calibration module to allow you to calibrate colors using a color checker chart (see https://github.com/darktable-org/darktable/pull/7293 ).

• The map module has been enhanced in a number of ways:

  • When importing a GPX the trace can be displayed.
  • Location can be set using polygons and directly created from information reported by Open Street Map.

• The basic adjustments module has been replaced with the quick access panel, which can be used to group controls from multiple different modules in one place.

ziggy53

Thanks for this notification!
Darktable is one of the applications I try with difficult images. It has truly advanced noise-reduction that compares well with commercial applications, as an example.

kofa

Actually, RawTherapee and ART are better at noise reduction, and no open-source tool comes close to DXO, for example.
During the past two years, darktable has received many updates to its pipeline, has algorithms rooted in the latest colour science (see color calibration and color balance RGB above), and boasts a scene-referred workflow (most processing is done is physically relevant, linear space, up to the filmic tone-mapping curve).

ziggy53

@kofa said:
Actually, RawTherapee and ART are better at noise reduction, and no open-source tool comes close to DXO, for example.

I do like RawTherapee noise reduction, but it can be difficult to master in that it seems to work best combining a couple of modules related to noise reduction. It's also pretty slow, which I attribute to an especially high-precision arithmetic pipeline.

If you mean DxO OpticsPro - with DxO PRIME engine, I agree. (The default noise-reduction is OK, but there is better available in other commercial software, IMO.) *(Haven't tested DeepPrime yet.)

I also get exemplary NR results from using chrominance only NR within Phase One, Capture One Pro (C1P), saving to 16-bit TIF, and then further processing in Neat Image for luminance NR. (That workflow can be largely batch processed, as needed.)

kofa

There was a challenge recently posted on discuss.pixls.us: https://discuss.pixls.us/t/hockey-game-under-lights-20k-iso-on-m4-3/25502. RawTherapee also produced excellent results.

kofa

A new intro video by Aurélien Pierre, one of the core developers - in case you have tried darktable, and have got lost, or you have not tried it at all:
English: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CmsxxxsMDs
French: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AkRL84WPm0

Aurélien has many other videos on YouTube. If you have never worked with a tool that supports a linear, scene-referred workflow, you may want to check those out as well.
And if you're comfortable with other raw developers, here's an older video emphasising the differences: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yod6iH4qJEw

kofa

Weekly developer builds for Windows: https://discuss.pixls.us/t/darktable-windows-insider-program/25740
This week's build: https://discuss.pixls.us/t/darktable-windows-insider-program-7-25/26087

kofa

The latest bugfix release, 3.6.1, is now out. For the details, see https://www.darktable.org/2021/09/darktable-3.6.1-released/

Camera support, compared to 3.6
Base Support

Leica C-Lux (3:2)
Nikon D6 (14bit-compressed, 14bit-uncompressed, 12bit-compressed, 12bit-uncompressed)
Nikon Z fc (14bit-compressed, 12bit-compressed)
Sony ILCE-7RM3A
Sony ILCE-7RM4A

Noise Profiles

Ricoh GR III